Rome

The late Amanda Claridge, a professor at the University of London, introduces us to the ancient city in the book she co-authored: Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide, now on offer as Rome, An archaeological guide. Over time, archaeology itself changes, and today's critics say that her presentation of up-to-date archaeology in Rome equally entrances both tourists and her fellow scholars. She taught at both Oxford and the University of London, as well as at Princeton University in the U.S. 

I am a Roman historian and spend as much time as I can in the eternal city. This is absolutely the best guidebook. Amanda lived in Rome for many years, knows every fragment of ancient architecture, and is fantastic at explaining the most complicated ruins. The book is short enough to carry with you everywhere and is full of wonderful maps and plans. Absolutely essential.

There are many books on the remains to be seen of the ancient city of Rome, but this is by far the best. Most such guides concentrate on the major famous locations and ignore the periphery. Sources that do cover them are usually only very dry academic ones. Arranged by region, the Oxford guide covers a plethora of sites, from the most famous to the relatively obscure, accompanied by detailed plans and photographs. The text is easy to read and is the most informative I’ve found. If you want to see the ancient city on a visit to Rome, do… show more.